DETROIT (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the union stronghold of Flint, Michigan, on Friday as she battles Donald Trump for working-class voters who could swing this year’s election.
Their appearance in the embattled state comes the day after U.S. longshoremen suspended their strike in hopes of a up-to-date contract, sparing the country a damaging episode of labor unrest that could have rocked the economy. A tentative agreement has been reached on the salary escalate, but other issues still need to be resolved.
Harris issued a statement saying the development “indicates progress toward a strong contract and reflects the power of collective bargaining.” She added that “longshoremen deserve a fair share for their hard work delivering essential supplies to communities across America.”
Labor unions have long been a Democratic mainstay, but Harris has failed to win over some key supporters. The International Association of Fire Fighters announced this week that it would not endorse a candidate this year after the Teamsters made a similar announcement. Both unions supported Joe Biden four years ago.
It’s not a complete frosty shoulder for Harris. Some Teamsters locals support her, and she quickly gained support from national teachers unions, the construction industry, the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers after replacing Biden at the top of the Democratic nomination.
But the divide within labor is a reminder of the shifting loyalties in American politics. Democrats have increased their support among white-collar workers, while Republicans are trying to gain a foothold among voters who didn’t attend college.
During a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, on Thursday, Trump claimed that Republicans are now “the party of the American worker,” glossing over his anti-union record as president. Referring to labor unrest at the country’s ports, he emphasized that “under my leadership, Americans do not have to strike for better pay or a better life.”
The former president also traveled to Flint last month to attend an event ostensibly focused on the auto industry, a pillar of the embattled state. The two candidates were in the same cities — and in some cases at the exact same venues — within a matter of days or weeks.
Trump is traveling to Georgia on Friday to meet with Gov. Brian Kemp. It’s the latest sign that he has mended his rocky relationship with the top Republican in a key battleground state. Later in the day, he is holding a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Union voters traditionally lean Democratic, with 56% supporting Biden in 2020. But Trump has worked difficult to win over workers traditionally represented by some of the largest unions. In 2020, he won 62% of white voters without a college degree — but only 24% of nonwhite voters without a college degree.
It’s frustrating for Democrats, who point to the White House’s firm support for unions. Biden even joined a UAW picket line last year.
Lisa Anderson, 59, drove more than an hour from Green Bay in her green “AFSCME for Harris-Walz” shirt to hear the vice president speak Thursday in Wisconsin.
She has worked as an elementary school administrative assistant for 17 years and is confident that Harris’ union support runs deep.
“I’m not worried about it,” Anderson said. “If you vote for Trump, how can you believe in unions?” AFSCME is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Labor relations could have been a key issue in the final weeks of the presidential campaign if the longshoremen’s strike had continued, causing problems at the ports and shortages on store shelves.
Biden expressed satisfaction that an agreement had been reached.
“We worked hard on this,” he said at the White House. “With the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors, it will endure.”
